Paint sprayer



Aug. 5, 1941.. y R. LEE 2,251,457

PAINT SPRAYER 'www f@ o Y (iff/l f/ A. d l vf/VCMQ ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1941. R. LEE v2,251,457

PAINT SPRAYER Filed April 8,.1939 2 Sheets-SheekI 2 40 63 v 48 58 .31 '37 .38 3 ZZ 4? I 11' Se i SZ I 35 je I l je I I ,18 j I J 17 Z4 Til: Ik 10 2O Zg.

Z1 3-4- /NVENTOR WITNESS/Es ROYAL LE E Y NMEY.

.Patented Aug. 5, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I PAINT SPRAYER Royal Lee, Milwaukee, Wis.

' Application April 8, 1939, Serial No. 266,784

8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for spraying paint and other liquids.

In the operation of the usual types of paint sprayers, paint is atomized or diffused in the form of a inist or fog. The spraying of paint in this manner is open to objection, as some of the paint is lost by dispersion in the surrounding air and a health hazard may be created.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sprayer which will minimize the loss of sprayed liquid by dispersion and which will permit economical and accurate application of the liquid to a surface to be coated or treated.

Another object is to provide simple but eiective means for producing a sheet-like liquid spray.

A further object is to provide improved means for controlling the quantity of liquid in the spray.

A still further object is to provide simplified means for elevating the liquid to the spraying zone.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one specific embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a paint sprayer constructed in accordance with the invention, a l

spray-controlling aperture thereof being closed;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the sprayer;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. the spray-controlling aperture being closed, and a raised position of a spray-adjusting member being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional elevation taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the spraycontrolling aperture being adjusted to an intermediate size;

Fig. 5 isa sectional elevation taken generally along the line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, the spray-controlling aperture being adjusted to its maximum size, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a rotor of the Sprayer. l

In the drawings, I0 designates a cylindrical container having at its upper end a neck ring I I. Detachably screw-threaded on the upper portion of the neck ring is a frame member I2 having a hollow radial arm I3 to the outer end of which a hollow downwardly projecting handle I4 is secured, as by screws I5.

The frame member I2 has a lugged annular skirt I6 which extends centrally within the neck ring Il. A cup-shaped motor casing I1 is secured by studs I3 to the skirt I8, Fig. 5, and carries therein a laminated iield member I9, the latter being secured in place by the studs 'and having a field winding 20. A vertical motor shaft 2| is journalled in upper and lower ball bearings 22 and 23 mounted in the frame member I2 and motor casing l1, respectively, and carries an armature 24 rotatable in the field member I3. The shaft 2| also carries a commutator 25 to which current is conducted'by brushes 26 carried in brush-holders 2l mounted in the frame member I2. Motor lead-in conductors 28 extend through the hollow arm I3 and hollow handle I4 and are connected to a receptacle 29 mounted in the lower end of the handle, the receptacle being adapted for detachable connection with a cord plug 30, Fig. 1.

The motor shaft 2| extends above the frame member I2 and below the motor casing I1 and has an axial passage or bore 3| therethrough, the lower end of the shaft having a screwthreaded plug 32 with an axial inlet passage or bore 33 which is smaller in diameter than the bore 3| and which communicates with the latter bore. The lower portion of the conduit-forming motor shaft extends into the paint L or other liquid held in the container I0, as seen in Fig. 3.

As the inlet bore 33 is smaller than the bore 3| thereabove, centrifugal action on the liquid in the hollow motor shaft 2|, produced by rotation of the shaft, will cause the liquid to be thrown outwardly toward the Walls of the bore 3| and to rise in the shaft above the liquid level in the container. also be produced by forming an upwardly divergent tapered bore in the shaft. but it is more convenient to provide a cylindrical main bore communicating with a somewhat smaller cylindrical bore at the lower end of the shaft, as above described.

The lower portion of the motor shaft 2| is encased in a stationary tubular member 34 which is suitably secured at its .upper encll to the motor casing I'I, the upper portion of the tubular member retaining in place a felt sealing washer 35 surrounding the shaft. The purpose of the tubular member is to preventa vortex motion of the liquid and possible downward passage of air along the shaftto the inlet bore 33. 'I'he tubular member 34 is provided with a number of slot-like openings 36 permitting the liquid to come into contact withthe shaft at intervals so as to provide a sealing eiect against the downward pasf sage of air between the shaft and the tubular member.

This upward flow of the liquid could- 'I'he upper end of the motor shaft 2l carries a cured thereto by set-screws 38, the disk having `a substantially flat top surface. 39. A domed cover plate 40 is mounted above the disk to form therewith a rotatable runner and is secured to the disk by a central hollow screw 4I which has an axial bore 42 communicating with lateral bores 43 above the level of the top surface of the disk, there being a chamber 44 formed between the top plate and disk to receive liquid discharged from the bores 43. The bottom face of the top plate has a circular lseries of projections 45 which'rest on the disk 31. These projections may be conveniently formed by cutting notches in a rib-like annular flange on the disk. The disk 31 and top plate 40 have the same diameter and their peripheries are spaced apart by the projections 45 to form a slit-like peripheral oriilce 46 through which the liquid is projected in all horizontal directionsin a substantially :dat sheet S extending at right angles to the motor shaft axis. The peripheral orifice is preferably, but not necessarily, continuous. The cover plate 40 is not entirely essential in all cases but is preferably provided to limit the thickness of the projected liquid sheet and to more definitely conne the projected liquid to a at sheet.

The frame member I2 has an annular upstanding rib 41 concentric with the motor shaft 2l. A cylindrical collar 48 is screw-threaded or otherwise secured to the rib 41. 'and forms, in effect, an upward extension of the annular rib 41.. The collar has a narrow slot 49 in the plane of the runner orifice 46 to permit the passage of a portion of the projected liquid sheet, the slot being at the portion of the collar remote from the handle I4. An inverted cup-shaped member 50 slidably fits in the collar 48 for vertical movement therein and has a downwardly widening V-shaped notch in its lower edge, Fig. 4, to variably expose the slot 49 in the collar, and thus vary the effective width of the portion of the liquid sheet passing out through the slot. The inclined edges of the notch are preferably provided with inturned ups 52 t0 11min the width of the emergent sheet-like spray and to avoid dripping on the outside of the collar 48. The cupshaped member forms a casing for interceptingthe spray thrown from the runner. The upper' and lower edges of the slot i9 and the inclined edges of the notch 5I define an aperture of variable length through which the sheet-like spray emerges. Although the width of the slot 59 is somewhat greater vthan the width of the runner orifice 46, the upper and lower edges of the slot are still sufficiently close to the spray plane to intercept any stray particles which may be projected inpaths too far from the spray plane.

The cylindrical collar 48 may forma guiding surface for the cup-shaped casing member 50 therein, but preferably separate guiding means are provided, such as parallel Vertical pins 53, Figs. 5 and 6, rigidly secured to the top Wall of the member 50 and slidable in bores 54 formed in the frame member I2. Only a-part vof the projected liquid sheet passes out of the sprayer, and the excess drains back to the container I0 through arcuate slots 55 formed in the peripheral portion of the frame member I2.

A wire bail 56 has its top portion pivotally secured to the top wall of the movable aperturecontrolling casing member 50 by clips 51 and hasl downwardlyprojecting arms 58 which are pivotally secured to the ends of a fork 59 formed on a +`iumb lever 60. 'Ihe lever extends above and along the arm I3 of the frame member I2 and is pivotally mounted by a screw 5I on lugs 62 upstanding from the arm. The outer end of the lever has a thumb rest 63, and the lever is urged to aperture-closing position by a. leaf spring 64. The bail 56 or fork 59, or both, are resilient so as to permit springing of these parts to connect and disconnect the bail. bail is released from the lever the casing member 50 may be removed from the sprayer.

When the sprayer is to be used, the paint L or other liquid is introduced into the container after screwing off the frame member I2 from the neck ring I I, or, alternatively, after removing the casing member 50. 'Ihe sprayer is then reassembled and the motor is started in operation. The rotation of the hollow motor shaft 2| causes the liquid to rise in the shaft by centrifugal force, as hereinbefore explained. The liquid rises in the shaft to the chamber 44 formed above the spray disk 31 whereupon the liquid is urged by centrifugal force along the top face 39 of the disk to the periphery of the disk and is thrown from the disk in a substantially fiat sheet normal to the motor shaft axis, each individual particle being projected in a substantially tangential direction with respect to the disk, as indicated in Fig. 6. The projected liquid sheet is intercepted by the surrounding barrier formed by the collar 48 and casing 50 and drains back into the container through the slots 55. When it is desired to apply a spray to a surface to be coated or treated, the casing member 50 is raised by the thumb lever 60 to expose the slot 49, whereupon some of the liquid sheet passes out of the casing, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, the spray being in the form of a flat fan-like sheet. The width of the emergent spray is controlled by moving the casing member 50 axially within the collar 48 to different elevations, the notch 5I in the casing member variably exposing the slot 49 in the collar 48. When the casing member 58 isA raised, the spray aperture is extended about equally at 'both ends, the vertical median line of the adjusted aperture remaining in a substantially fixed position with respect to the sprayer frame I2 and its handle I4, so as to facilitate the handling and guiding of the sprayer by the operator.

As the emergent spray is more or less confined to a sheet, the dispersion or diiusion of paint-or other liquid into the surrounding air is minimized, thus avoiding waste of paint and preventing contamination of the air. The character of the spray also permits relatively accurate application of the spray to the surface to be coated. The spray is above the driving motor and near the upper end of the sprayer, thus affording good visibility for the operator whose line of sight usually extends over the casing member 50.

While the invention is here shown to' be embodied in a paint sprayer, the features of the invention are also applicable to the spraying of other liquids.

What I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sprayer of the'type adapted to be manually carried and guided, the combination of a frame having a handle, a rotatable liquid-impelling member for centrifugally throwing liquid thereabout in a sheet-like spray, means 'carried by said frame for driving said rotatable member and comprising a motor below said member. a

When the v barrier around said rotatable member for intercepting said sheet-like spray and having an aperture of variable size permitting the passage therethrough of a variable portion of said spray, and means for varying the effective size of said aperture comprising operating linkage having a shiftable linger-actuated member adjacent to said handle.

2. In a sprayer. the combination of a frame having a handle, means carried by said frame for projecting a substantially at liquid spray sheet, a barrier for intercepting said sheet and having an aperture permitting the passage therethrough of a portion `of said sheet, and means for varying the eiective size of said aperture and for closing said aperture, the median line of said aperture transverse to the spray plane being substantially ilxed with respect to said handle in all adjustments of said aperture.

3. In a sprayer, the combination of rotatable means for projecting a substantially hat liquid spray sheet, and a barrier surrounding said ro tatable means for intercepting said sheet and comprising a pair of relatively movable members forming an aperture to admit therethrough a portion of said sheet, one of said members being axially movable for variably closing said aperture.

4. In a sprayer, the combination of rotatable means for projecting a substantially ilat liquid sheet, and a pair oi inner and outer annular wall members surrounding said rotatable means for intercepting said sheet, one of said wall members having an opening to permit the passage therethrough of a portion of said sheet, and the other wall member being axially movable and having a portion to variably expose said opening.

5. In a sprayer. the combination of rotatable means for projecting a substantially at liquid sheet, a wall member surrounding said rotatable means and having an opening to permit the passage therethrough of a portion-of said sheet. and a controlling member shiftably tting in said wall member and having a portion axially movable to variably expose said opening, said last-named portion having cutting-oit edges ior the sheet to coniine drip to the interior of the controlling member.

6. In a sprayerr the combination of a conduitforming rotor having a longitudinal liquid-conducting passage therein and adapted to extend into a liquid, and a guard'tube surrounding said rotor and having its lower portion submersible in said liquid to prevent swirling of said liquid.

'1. In a sprayer, the combination oi a conduitforming rotor adapted to extend into a liquid, and a guard tube surrounding said rotor and having its lower portion submersible in said liquid to prevent swirling of said liquid, said tube having a lateral opening in its submersible portion to permit sealing contact oi the liquid with said rotor.

8. In a sprayer, the combination of a conduitforming rotor adapted to extend into a liquid, and a guard tube surrounding said rotor and having its lower portion submersible in said liquid to prevent swirlingbf said liquid, said tube having a plurality of longitudinally spaced lateral openings -in its submersible portion to permit sealing contact of the liquid with said rotor.

ROYAL LEE.

n CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,251,LL57. August 5, 19in.

ROYAL LEE.

It is 'hereby certifiedl that error appears in the printed specification ofthe above numbered patent requiringv correction as followsz Page 5, second column, line 10 claim 5, after "hailing" insert the word --inturned; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein thatthe same mayconform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and 'sealed this 25rd fdgy of September, A. D. 1914.1.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

